My Favorite Water Filter After 3,000 Miles of Backpacking | Sawyer Squeeze / Mini vs. Katadyn Befree

My experience with all the water filters I've used while backpacking over the last 3 years and 3,000 miles. Which one is my personal favorite, which one is the fastest, and which one will I use going forward..

THE FILTERS:

Other favorite gear shown in this video:

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[barbarahultman]

"I got so much feedback" LOL

[ricdonato]

Good explanation, thank you. My filter is the Swayer Squeeze. Water particulates flowing through any filter will at best reduce its flow rate, at worst become clogged. My technique is prefilter turbid water, clear stream water, lake and pond water, through a bandana, the bandana removes as much particulates as it can. This prefiltered water next goes into the dirty water bottle. Prefiltering water dramatically increases flow rate over non prefiltered water, also increases the time between back flushing. Hope this helps.

[drewm]

being a beginner hiker - you and the people that add comments here help so much. Thank you and please keep making contents for noobs like me. thank you to your fan base too with great info.

[charlesmorain]

Thank you for the info. I love when you talk about gear. Actually, I could listen to you talk for hours about anything hiking related. It's because of you, and a few other channels, that I really got into hiking in the last couple years. Just wanted to tell you "Thank you!"

[pungo]

I used the Befree on my 2021 thru-hike. It was a great filter overall. Like you said, the flow rate eventually slows, especially after filtering muddy water. I swapped it out for a new Befree when I reached VT. I didn't mind paying for a new filter because it works so well. This is the filter I intend to use when I hike the PCT in 2023.

[aaalllen]

If you have an old BeFree that you're going to toss, you can remove the filter part with some tools and force. That will make a 42mm to 28mm adapter. I use that w/ a Seeker bag and Sawyer Squeeze or Platy QuickDraw.

[CarlZ]

Being a 'gear head, ' I've used a lot of small filters over the years. The Sawyer Mini is a no-go in my book (for the reasons you mentioned). The Squeeze is really reliable & relatively fast. When hiking in a small group, I'll use it w/ a 2L Cnoc bladder gravity feed system w/ a Sawyer coupler. The orange bag = dirty water; the blue bag = clean water. I'd bring an extra dirty water bag (Sawyer) or two and refill the orange Cnoc bag. I tried the same setup w/ the 3L Cnoc bag. The extra weight caused the plastic ring to break when I hung it up. The BeFree really flows fast when its new. It does slow down sooner than I'd like. The backflush/slosh technique didn't improve it very much. On the trail, I found it harder to find a replacement filter in outfitter stores. Currently, I'm trying out the Platypus Quickdraw system. Faster that the Squeeze but not as fast as the BeFree. Time will tell how it holds up. It looks promising so far.

[WillowWalksTheAT]

We've found the BeFree a bit easier to throw in a pocket or in the quilt when temps getting below freezing...don't have to worry about any leaking when the soft bottle is attached. Harder to do this with the Sawyer and whatever bottle being used with it. Could always put the Sawyer in a ziploc, but that's just an extra step...and ziploc!

[rockytopwrangler]

.... Started backpacking in early '70's .. water filter of choice were pump filters, , did the job well .. Over the years stayed with pump style filters and iodine tablets as backup or boiling ... In '80's went to a direct pump from "PUR" called the Scout .. screwed directly on a Nalgene bottle. ...over time broke one trying to service the filter (would not come apart although the filter was available separately) ... in '90's Katadyn came out with many, , bought the "Hiker" plus extra filters, ,never had a problem filtering water .. always kept 2 liters filled along the hike in case of a long stretch with no source ... also carried a 2 liter bladder (now CNOC) .. for unknown sources ..
.. I do have both, the Sawyer Squeeze and the BeFree to try on day hikes or an overnight as a drip system, ,but overall rely on a pump filter .. easier to use and faster for filling directly into nalgene bottles or any other container .. weight, although minimal, is no issue with me ... Install a new filter at the beginning of each new hiking season, ,(once a year) ..needed or not .... I think they are a better tool for the job ..

[helpfulcommenter]

Haven’t watched the video yet but just wanted to say that you must have gotten one of the “good” BeFrees. The problem with the product is that it inconsistent. I bought one on the PCT this year and it worked great. Two weeks later I accidentally left it in a motel and had to buy another. The new one completely failed to flush clean after another two weeks. Tried soaking it banging it swirling it you name it. Nothing I could do would fix it. It would barely filter a trickle, taking about 3-5 min to filter a liter. I threw it away and got a Sawyer once again. No issues now.

In theory BeFree is great but in practice if it’s not consistent then it’s useless. Add to this the different threading so if your bag fails you can’t screw it on to a single use bottle like smartwater with Sawyer or QuickDraw - I don’t know why anyone would choose BeFree.

[thomasfrazee]

Thank you so much for the info! Great video! Honest unpaid opinions and education from experienced people are priceless.

[fretlessed]

Thanks- I have a Sawyer Mini for "emergencies" but mostly day hike. I will probably pick up a Befree. If you're hiking southern NH you need to do the Wapack Trail some time. 21.7 miles with a perfect place in the middle (Windblown) where you can camp overnight in a 3 sided cabin or tent, and great views of Monadnock. Also allows overnight parking near the North end across from Miller State park.

[glyn_mtn]

A professional in water filtration once explained to me that as a general rule, the slower the flow rate = the better the filtration (assuming the filter isn’t blocked or heavily contaminated). I’ve since considered this advise to make perfect sense, and for this reason I’ll be sticking with my Sawyer and regularly back-flushing.

[IM_A_BEAR_LOL]

I'm a huge fan of the BeFree. It definitely needs some TLC to stay performing optimally. In my experience, it's prone to mineralization if it's allowed to dry out. Storing it wet goes a long way in keeping the flow rate high.

It's also super easy to verify the filter integrity on the trail. With the filter thoroughly wet, remove the sport cap and point the nozzle straight up. Attempt to squeeze air through the filter. You shouldn't be able to see ANY air bubbles come through.

[matthewmayerhikes]

Katadyn’s are really great for like 100-200 miles and then they turn to trash. Most people on the AT this year went through several, including myself. I switched to the Platypus and was much happier with it. It is very similar to the Sawyer Squeeze in design but flow is much greater and for longer.

[adkeric]

I have a BeFree and love it and use it all over New England, but it doesn't work at all in the Adirondacks. There's too much iron or something in the water there and it seized right up after one liter. So i still have my full sized Saywer for the Adirondacks. But loving the BeFree everywhere else!

[jamesalvernaz]

Platypus GravityWorks 4 Liter when in a small group has been such the nice system I've been using for more than a decade now.
Longest treks I do are about a week.
If I was ever to do a solo through hike of any duration I'd look for something lighter than the 12oz GravityWorks.
Shorter treks with groups of two or more Platypus GravityWorks 4 Liter for the win.

[andymytys]

The BeFree cannot be serviced on the field when it slows down. In my case, the “slow down” was pretty much full stop. Katadyn says you can “shake it” or “swish it” around in clean water to bring its flow rate back but I’ve had zero success with this method.

In contrast, the Sawyer comes with a syringe to backflush it and is thus completely field serviceable.

For post-hike cleaning on any of these filters, always used distilled water, even with a vinegar mix if flow rate is an issue. The vinegar breaks apart the mineral particulate matter that’s causing flow issues with the filter.

[notyouraccount]

Try the QuickDraw next time. I used it on my thru hike this year. I went through 3 of them. They stay pretty consistent.

[susietopspin]

Always great to see the release of a Taylor video 😄. I’m a Katadyn girl and have not had a problem. Another hiker gave me a great tip on trail when I was complaining about the flow rate being really slow. I hadn’t used it in a number of weeks. It needs to be soaked for about 15 minutes to bring it back to life, after not being used for a while. It totally worked. My only issue is how to know when you’ve filtered 1000 liter? Thanks Taylor and happy trails.🤘🏻🥾⛰️